It must be emphasized that the NEA, the nation's largest teachers' union, did not exactly endorse the concept of linking pay to performance. But the union did, in effect, acknowledge the existence of merit-pay proposals.

Progress, even in small steps, is welcome.

What the NEA did at its Chicago conference was agree to provide technical assistance to locals that have "bonus" plans imposed on them by legislatures or school boards. And the NEA will not stop a local from proposing a merit-pay plan.

This relatively modest bow to the reform movement was the result of a bitter debate among the 10,000 delegates. After all, the NEA has spent much of the past century resisting merit pay. The NEA and other teachers' unions have paid an enormous price for their recalcitrance -- a public perception that the unions were more concerned about protecting mediocre teachers than raising standards in the classroom.

The reality is that the overwhelming majority of teachers -- and most unions -- are committed to the students. Time and again, we have argued for higher pay scales that would be commensurate with the contribution these men and women are making to society. We endorsed Gov. Gray Davis' plan to provide pay incentives for teachers based on a school's performance, thus promoting teamwork.

But the NEA and other teacher unions must get beyond the tired argument that merit pay is inherently arbitrary. They continue to resist the idea of having raises decided by principals (rewards friendships) or student test scores (deters teachers from inner-city schools). Yet merit-pay plans can be structured to include a detailed performance review, and test scores can be evaluated in the context of the students in the classroom, rather than a statewide average.

Let us suggest another element to add to the equation of calculating merit pay: Parental input. Not only do many parents have a good handle on which teachers are doing exceptional work at their childrens' schools, parent participation in the process would promote parent-teacher communication, which everyone agrees is fundamental to a school's success.